warhammer40kfanonfandomcom-20200216-history
Saint Antias' Hope
Saint Antias' Hope, previously known as Hos Elwor IV, is an Imperial shrine world governed by an arch cardinal. It is named after Saint Antias who was martyred on world in 319.M36 and is therefore a major pilgrimage site within Vigilius sector. Even if the world is not located on the major warp lane from Arteside Major to Novoss or to Turbela, a constant flow of pilgrims find their way on planet, carried by the vessels of Elwor Charter. History Colonisation Hos Elwor was colonised allegedly before the Age of Imperium by ancient human colonists. No explicit records about the events related to the colonisation process have been found but geological studies suggest that some kind of terraforming process was launched roughly in the 28th millennium. Hos Elwor system was not found during the Great Crusade as the Imperial forces unluckily circled around the system. It was not before 900.M35 when the Imperial surveys made by the Battlefleet Vigilius found the world and informed about it to the sector government. Further surveys of the world's population, atmosphere, geology and overall worth were made by Monitor-Planetarium Giljon of Magna Cupal with the aid of the clerks of Estate Imperium of Adeptus Administratum. Monitor-Planetarium Giljon's report was short; planet was worthless. Adeptus Administratum legislative was assigned by the High Magistrate of Vigilius in 905.M35 to oversee the world and to extract whatever resources could be scraped off world. By the request of Monitor-Planetarium Giljon four mining platforms were assembled on Magna Cupal and transferred on Hos Elwor. These platforms were of an old and widely used design and easily governed by a single tech-priest who was assigned from Magna Cupal. A space station was also constructed in the world's high orbit to provide accommodations for the tech-priests and the Administratum personnel. Native population had little to do with the mining platforms that were at first placed on far-flung locations away from the natives. They first instilled the natives with fear and distrust but after hundreds of years of nothing but grinding the earth, they were mostly forgotten. Only children and fools wondered where did they come from and what were they doing. Birth of a star, which was the construction of the governing space station, saw a much more enthusiasm among the natives as many evangelical groups were formed as star charts were revamped and diviners tried to explain it. Saint Antias Evangelical groups were soon joined by strangers with funny accents and weird outlooks who told stories about the Emperor, Master of Mankind. Forms of shamanism were however tightly set in the backbone of the Hos Elwor's citizens and the Imperial Truth gained little attention. It was welcomed to some degree in the area of Aolis, which was governed by the city of Bergan, but even there it wasn't widely accepted. Missionaries came on planet, assigned by the Adeptus Ministorum, one after another but little change was seen in the demographics of Hos Elwor IV for decades, for centuries, for millennium. Few hermitages were built in the Futushe mountains as a permanent foothold on planet and missionaries assigned there managed to recruit locals and instill the Imperial Truth in their hearts. In 205.M36 a young man was recruited from the East Futushe Hermitage for the Imperial service and took on a journey through the stars. He was introduced into the Imperial Truth, the Creed and the Faith and he was taught on the Schola Progenium of Sareen Cardinal for ten years before he was accepted into Adeptus Ministorum as a missionary. Missionary Dragutin, as he was called, joined many proselytisation campaigns from Eastern Fringe to Galactic Core. He worked as a missionary until 271.M36 when he was promoted to the position of elder missionary. His career continued for 19 years before he wished to head back on his home world to see it too converted to the Imperial Faith. In 295.M36 the Defiant class caravel Winrich of the Missionaria Galaxia arrived in Hos Elwor system and Elder Missionary Dragutin's last wish was put in action. Many rulers on world had become to resent religious factions on world as they proved to be a lot of trouble and many of them were outright hostile towards the new missionaries sent on world in 296.M36. Missionaries were skinned, sawed and impaled for spreading their lies. Some were castrated, blinded and their tongues were cut off. Crucification was also very common way to deal with the newly arrived missionaries. Led by the efforts of Missionary Antias, many cities converted to embrace the Imperial Faith. His magical voice became legendary as he calmed down even the angriest and violent warlords and barons into listening the words of the Emperor. Missionary Antias was captured in 319.M36 by King Cesius of Lydiclea for "spreading lies of idolatry and heresy", and attempted to execute Antias in an brazen bull. This was not a success for King Cesius and he died by what could be considered as a miracle of the saint. Miracle was followed by instant beautification by the sector-synod of Vigilius and the news about these events were carried to the Holy Synod on Terra by the Twelve Missionaries, who had witnessed the miracle of Saint Antias. Cardinal Rule Martyred missionary Antias of Hadranoh III was declared a saint by the Holy Synod in 322.M36 and the news were carried on Hos Elwor. In late 322.M36, Senatorum Vigilius granted Governor Marjan Stefanovic of Hos Elwor a retirement from his post and he moved in a villa on Hos Elwor where he died peacefully in 349.M36 at the age of 72 years. Hos Elwor was officially renamed as "Saint Antias' Hope" and its governorship was transferred from Administratum to Ministorum. Elder Missionary Dragutin of Hos Elwor was granted the honor to act as the first cardinal of Saint Antias' Hope, a position he held for six years until dying in 328.M36 at a venerated age of 128 years. Face of the Saint Antias' Hope quickly changed to resemble a proper Imperial shrine world. Local population stood in awe as the massive Imperial landing ships brought the tools of industrialisation on planet. Cardinal Dragutin, probably out of sympathy towards his homeworld, placed heavy emphasis on development of agriculture and fighting off the poverty of rural population. Eight years proved to be too little time for such economical renovations and while the base was laid down, following cardinals cared little for the local population. Pontifex Urba Hugo Essekson from Sareen Cardinal gained the position of cardinal of Saint Antias' Hope by series of political intrigues in 328.M36 and instead of working to develop the world he forced a level of serfdom and slavery on world, demolished most of the Oxkeep city and rebuilt the shrine of Saint Antias into a marvel of Imperial-Gothic architecture. Standing on the steep cliffs of Axles, the gargoyle spires rose up in 335.M36 for the delight of Cardinal Hugo Essekson. Many city states followed the examples of Cardinal Hugo who enjoyed the trust of local feudal lords. Cardinal Hugo died in 341.M36 and was succeeded by the deacon of Saint Antias' Hope, Hans van Bergran who adopted the name Boniface Bergran and began a long line of cardinals coming from the world itself. Following centuries marked a process of urbanisation, imperialisation and flow of new cultures and ideas on Saint Antias' Hope. Feudal rule on world was retained by the wishes of numerous cardinals but in time the native rulers were surplaced by Adeptus Ministorum offices. Feudal nature of the system was quite visible for offworlders and sector-synod frequently noticed the cardinals of Saint Antias' Hope to quell the bureaucratic hell of government on world. Waaagh! Morkdred Devastating green tide crashed on Vigilius sector in late-M40 and destroyed few worlds completely. Saint Antias' Hope was invaded by the forces of Warboss Katrif Big'ead who brought the original cathedrals down and desecrated the priories. When Katrif fought his way into the Oxkeep city and in the temple of Saint Antias, he found the brazen bull very fine addition to his hoard of relics and demanded it to be brought into his ship. First the gretchins tried to pull the sculpture off its feet but failed miserably. Tens and hundreds of bulky bois tried to heave the bull of its platform, they tied its horns to a trukks and missiles but none could move the brazen bull. So Warboss Katrif pushed his lowly minions aside and grasped the bull of its head and tail and attempted to lift it with all his might. But the relics of the saints are not to be meddled with and as Warboss Katrif grasped the bull of its thick neck, his hands were set in flames that died not even if he smashed them to ground. In great pain, unlike any conventional flame could cause, Warboss Katrif ran in panic into the sea, where the sea itself refused to touch the warboss' crumbling skin and moved aside. Nobs and bois watched from the cliff as their boss burnt into cinders, soon realising there was a power vacuum to fill. Tribe of Warboss Katrif turned on itself, tearing, fighting and screaming, everyone trying to prove their superiority above others. The Vigilius Reclamation Army of Astra Militarum made planetfall on Saint Antias' Hope in 982.M41 and found number of ork tribes fighting against each others in the ruins of the human settlements. Purge lasted for few months but the world was successfully culled of all orkoid lifeforms. Early M41 Devastation brought by Waaagh! Morkdred was a humiliation for Imperium and more so for Adeptus Ministorum who had lost one of its shrine worlds. Groups of hiding resistance were uncovered all around the world in the searches organised by the Vigilius Reclamation Army and those people formed the new heart of the society on Saint Antias' Hope. Position of High Cardinal Astra was transferred for the cardinal of Sareen Cardinal after the Waaagh! Morkdred had overrun Saint Antias' Hope and killed its last cardinal. Sector-synod appointed Lord Hakon Yfrastein - a retired drill abbot of Schola Progenium Lebennia and patron of Anwellian Order on Lebennia II, known of his diplomatic skills and wide range of associates - as the cardinal of Saint Antias' Hope. Cardinal Hakon Yfrastein was the first offworld cardinal of Saint Antias' Hope since Cardinal Jeriko Peregran who held the position in mid-M38. Cardinal Hakon reorganised the Adepta Sororitas order madriga, Order of the Iron Aria, on world and invited a number of other Sororitas orders to help with the rebuilding process. Locations *'Axlea' - city north of the Futushe Mountains. *'Bergan' - city in south. Is noted for housing the Priory of Aolis. *'Bion' *'Cleppon' *'Oxkeep' - site of the Great Bull of Antias and the martyrdom of Saint Antias. Oxkeep was located on a high cliff against the Axles Ocean on Axles Coast *'Priory of Aolis' - overseen by a provost, Priory of Aolis is the first Imperial monastery built on world by the hands of Saint Antias himself. Since the days of Saint Antias the monastery has grown into a megalithic construction. *'Axles Coast' - mountainous region on the eastern shores. *'Futushe Mountains' - mountain range dividing lands of Aolis and Axlea. Government Up until 320.M36 the planet was ruled by a line of Administratum legislatives. They were high ranking officials who were dispatched on the remote world without any means to come back as the assignment of a planetary governor is an honor one can not turn down easily. Title of governor of Hos Elwor was not hereditary so after each governor's death there was a debate about the necessity of such institution to exist. Military Notes Category:Shrine Worlds Category:Worlds Category:Vigilius sector Category:Ultima Segmentum